PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A 40-year-old career criminal today pleaded guilty to a brutal attack on a center city Philadelphia parking lot attendant in April of 2012 (see related story), and has been sentenced to 8-21 years in prison — both for this crime and because the attack violated his probation in four other cases.

Philadelphia prosecutor Rob Frantz says the victim, Asrat Mamo, was working at the E-Z Park parking lot at 13th and Locust Streets just after 7:30pm when defendant Ronald Moore attacked Mamo from behind with a brick, crushing his skull (another related story).

And as Mamo lay on the ground unconscious, Frantz says, video surveillance of the scene appears to show Moore going through the victim’s pockets, looking for money.

Frantz adds that Mamo barely survived the attack.

“He had to be in a medically induced coma for four or five days after the incident, wasn’t released until over a week afterward. At this point his recovery is still ongoing. He still suffers headaches (and) mood problems as a result of it,” Frantz says.

The defendant blamed a crack cocaine habit for this crime and more than a dozen other convictions over the past 20 years.